Abstergo
by ItachiBlack
Summary: The war has been lost. The Death Eaters rejoice in their victory. Hermione, the sole survivor of the Golden Trio and the Order of the Phoenix, has been captured and is forced to decide between the five men who have ruined her life and choose a master to own her forever. (Reviewers choose between five hot men and their paths: Severus, Lucius, Draco, Voldemort, Barty Crouch Jr.!)
1. Prologue - Introducing:

**A/N: Welcome to this fanfiction. This piece will be my masterpiece: the 'Sexiest, Hottest Slytherin Men Buffet'.**

**I got this beautiful idea last night when I was half awake/half asleep and I hope you enjoy this story.**

**I do NOT own any of the characters and HP rightfully belongs to the brilliant author, J.K. Rowling; I only wish HP belonged to me...**

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"Cheers to our almighty Lord for his victory in the war!" shouted a Death Eater, raising his haphazardly sloshing goblet towards Lord Voldemort.

The other Death Eaters laughed and toasted the Dark Lord, who sat stoically by the fire, one spindly hand clutching a goblet and the other affectionately petting Nagini.

"That naïve Harry Potter and the fools who supported him could never have even hoped to win!" A young Death Eater jeered.

Severus Snape's ground his teeth in silent frustration, but his cutting glare went unnoticed. He stared into the velvety liquid in his goblet, refraining from actually drinking it... until he saw Lucius Malfoy approaching him with a grin.

"My dear, sullen friend, you must smile! You'll scare away all the beautiful women." The man spoke genially, but there was a thinly veiled warning in his next words. "The war has ended and our Lord has returned to us unharmed and victorious. You should be happy."

Severus's face remained a blank mask, even as he recognized a young Ravenclaw within Lucius's coiled arm. Recognizing that his old friend was feigning happiness, the Potion Master's sharp eyes spotted Narcissa, who was scowling at her husband from afar.

"Why don't we go upstairs to my study?" Lucius suggested.

Severus made no indication of acknowledgement but nevertheless quietly stood and followed his friend. Lucius released the young woman, slapping her arse playfully before ascending the stairs. The two dark wizards halted their journey halfway up the stairs when they realised the young witch was continuing to follow them with pursed lips.

Severus sneered at the stupid girl, but Lucius merely grinned indulgently and whispered into her ears, "I promise to see you in bed tonight, so wait for me like a good girl."

The men continued up the stairs and down the hall, finally entering the study for some peace and heavily warded quiet - only to find two house elves cleaning the shelves.

"You filthy trash, how dare you defile this place with your presence? Get out!"

The house elves bowed their heads before their master and rushed out of the room. The room was silent except for the sound of Lucius gulping down his rich, elvish wine.

The wealthy man finally sighed, and whispered to his friend, "Severus, you should be glad that you survived the Dark Lord's attack."

Suddenly enraged, Severus threw the goblet against the wall and the wine dyed the surface a deep red. He hid his face in his palms as he growled, "I'm a fucking failure. I couldn't protect Lily, and I couldn't even save her son! I should have died, I _wanted_ to die! Why did I survive?! Fuck!"

Lucius put his hand on Snape's shoulders, which were shuddering violently with the weight of the man's silent, dry sobs. "You can't keep blaming yourself, Severus. Maybe you're not happy to have survived, but let me tell you this: Draco and I are. _We_ are glad that you're alive."

Severus kept his face tilted down, hiding his face with a curtain of inky black so no one else could bear witness to his agony.

"I need to go back downstairs seeing as I am the host, but do come down after you have sorted yourself," Lucius said, walking out of the room and shutting the door behind him. When he returned downstairs, he smirked at the sight of his son surrounded by beautiful ladies.

Draco Malfoy sneered at the fawning female Death Eaters around him, knowing that they were only interested in his looks, wealth, rank, and of course, blood status.

One of the witches swooned when Draco's father murmured into her ears, "What are you sexy ladies doing around my son? If you ignore me I'll get jealous you know."

Lucius smiled charmingly and asked, "Who will keep me in company?"

Immediately, over half the girls left Draco to chase after Lucius, and Draco rolled his eyes in disgust; the girls didn't give a damn which male Death Eater gave them attention, as long the his position within the Lord's circle was high.

Draco recognized one of the younger girls clinging onto his arm as she opened her mouth to speak. She had been a Slytherin in one of the lower years. He didn't bother remember her name though. None of the witches currently present would receive any of his respect, no matter what they did or said.

There had only been a single girl whom he found truly and utterly fascinating - she was intelligent, gutsy, bold, powerful, and undeniably attractive.

One of Draco's brows rose when the girl said, "Don't sulk because your father took the other girls away. I would _never_ leave you. I mean, how much more impressive could you be? You're one of the elites now."

Another male Death Eater briefly joined the harem. "Indeed, how enviable! You received that high honor of executing the _Weasleys_, those blood traitors. I would have loved to have been in your place, standing over their snivling bodies as they begged for mercy. And not only are you powerful, but you're also loved by all these ladies," he spoke, wiggling his eyebrows repulsively when he finished.

Draco did not respond to the man's comment and merely departed from the irritating flock of imbeciles. He was sick of the stinking scent of booze and the loud crowd. The platinum blond briefly retreated to the large windowsill and watched the moon, until he noticed his godfather walking down the stairs. He quickly stood up and went to the older man.

Suddenly, the Malfoy Manor's entrance flew open. Everyone immediately brandished their wands while Lord Voldemort smiled wickedly at the sight of the man staggering into the Manor. The gasps echoed throughout the hall and eyes widened as the man sealed the door.

Everyone watched the man flick his tongue in and out the corner of his mouth, tasting the air as if he was a snake.

"BARTYYY!" Bellatrix shrieked gleefully.

She tightly embraced Barty Crouch, elated to see the face of another true loyalist, but he threw her off to the ground. He staggered towards the Dark Lord and fell to his knees.

The observers whispered amongst each other. "It's Barty Crouch Jr... he's been released from Azkaban. He's returned to his master!"

Lord Voldemort stood from his seat and caressed Barty Crouch's wet cheeks.

Barty wept in his Master's hands and shouted, "My Lord, my Lord, my merciful, gracious Lord! By your command, I have been set free and I am so joyful to find you in the best of health. My ears have been blessed by the most wonderful news! I am glad to finally witness, with my very own eyes,what I have been hoping for this entire time: you've defeated the government, the Order of Phoenix, and Potter!"

The Dark Lord, in high spirits, laughed and welcomed Barty. Then he announced, "One of my most loyal servants has returned to my side. Rejoice, for my elite force is finally complete!"

All the witches and wizards within the house applauded for their delighted Lord. Their eyes were fixed upon Voldemort, who walked away with Nagini at his heels.

He sipped from his cup and then summoned four particular men. "Severus, Lucius, Draco, Barty, come before me." In a line, Severus, Lucius, Draco, and Barty joined the Dark Lord. They fell onto one of their knees and bowed their head in respect.

"Stand," Voldemort commanded.

Severus and Lucius stood on the left, next to the Dark Lord, while Draco and Barty stood on the right. The five figures gazed steely at the awed crowd.

Lord Voldemort explained to the crowd, "These are my finest men - my most loyal servants. They will command all but I."

The crowd cheered and clapped and then became silent as the Dark Lord spoke again, "Come join me, my knights. I have a new mission that you may find yourselves interested in."

The four Death Eaters followed after the Dark Lord, but they halted when Bellatrix stood before them. "What about me, my Lord? Have I not been your most loyal servant? More so than Lucius or Severus, it is I who has always stood by your side! Am I not to join the new mission?"

Lord Voldemort's eyes turned a cold, dangerous dark red. His lips curled up before he grabbed her by the hair and tossed her aside. He kicked her in the abdomen before withdrawing his wand.

"Crucio!" He yelled, infuriated. "How dare you block my path!"

Bellatrix gasped for breath and tears welled in her eyes, but she refused to scream before her beloved Lord.

His wand cut deep welts into her flesh as he roughly grabbed her jaw and spat, "Why would I need you when I have these four capable men? Only the master may select his valuable, loyal subjects, not measly trash like you."

The crowd scoffed and giggled at her pathetic state while Lord Voldemort and the four chosen men looked down at her apathetically.

"Come," ordered the Dark Lord.

"Yes, my Lord," answered the four.

They entered a smaller living room where the warm fire illuminated a slender figure bound entirely in white silk, struggling and thrashing on the ground. Severus, Lucius, Draco, and Barty looked on with varying degrees of interest, and the Dark Lord approached the lump with a wicked grin.

"You all look curious." The Dark Lord kicked the lump and it let out a feminine yelp of pain. "I reveal to you: your next assignment."

He pulled the satin cloth away. Severus's face paled and his eyes widened, Lucius sipped from his goblet to disguise his shock, Draco choked and coughed violently, and Barty's eyes glinted dangerously. Lord Voldemort smiled at each man's reaction.

Before them was Hermione Granger, bound in spells, charms and chains, glaring at them defiantly; her nostrils were flaring, her eyes were sharp and searingly fiery, her hair was spilled in a tangled halo around her face, and she was covered in bruises and cuts. Her mouth was bound in a gag, but there did not seem to be much use for it, as she was stony silent.

All the men's expressions were stoic, but they all felt a shot of adrenaline in their bodies at the sight. Each man felt his blood pump furiously through their veins and his heart beat a staccato rhythm against his ribcage.

Lord Voldemort seated himself in an armchair next to Hermione and asked, "Now who will volunteer to take care of my prize? This mudblood is my golden trophy, my prize for killing Potter along with his pesky friends, and winning the war."

New tears joined the traces of their predecessors, cascading down established tear tracks along her pale, bruised face. She tried her best to muffle her cries, but they could see her body shuddering from the vain effort.

The Dark Lord removed the mouth gag and asked, "Or... shall I be merciful enough to let you decide? Who will you choose as your new master?"

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**AN**

_How do you feel? Now, you must review because this story will cover 5 storylines. As a reader who do you choose:_

_1) The cool, quiet, apathetic ex-Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman)?_

_2) The flirtatious, womanizer, Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs)?_

_3) The young Draco Malfoy who has matured and become a surprising gentleman (Tom Felton)?_

_4) The intelligent, but insane, broken Barty Crouch Jr. (David Tennant)?_

_5) The sadistic, powerful Tom Marvolo Riddle/ Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes)?_

_Don't worry, all of their story lines will be published :) I just need the order of sequence!_

_IT IS VITAL FOR EACH READER TO REVIEW YOUR CHOICE BECAUSE I WILL BE COLLECTING/TALLYING THE CHARACTERS' POPULARITY! THE CHARATER'S POPULARITY WILL SET THE ORDER OF THE CHAPTERS (PERMANENT). I WILL BE TALLYING FOR A WEEK!_

_REVIEW YOUR PREFERRED ORDER OF SEQUENCE PLEASE!_

_WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN PUT THE GUYS IN ORDER, ALL FIVE OF THEM. I AM TRYING TO DO THE WORLD (READERS) A FAVOUR TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO READ. I'VE ALREADY CHASED ABOUT 20 PEOPLE TO TELL ME THEIR PREFFERED ORDER OF SEQUENCE. LET ME TELL YOU, IT'S NOT FUN! I AM NOT YOUR MOM OR DAD AND IT TAKES YOU FEW SECS-MINUTES. SO PLEASE, I AM BEGGING, ORDER SEVERUS, LUCIUS, DRACO, VOLDEMORT, AND BARTY IN ORDER!_

_sigh. Thank you :)_

**[Edit (04/08/2014) - Beta/Co-author]**

**Ignore everything written above - it's been more than over a week, and the order has already been decided. Please do not vote anymore, though we'd be happy to hear your opinions on each of the different men. :)**

**Ja.**

**~ Geniusly-Unique**

**[End edit.]**

**Hope you enjoyed the story :) Please review and follow! Told you it would be the sexiest Slytherin buffet ;)**


	2. Abstergo: Severus's Story Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm posting Severus's chapter early because he's winning by far. I'm 110% that his spot won't be taken by the other 4 characters.**

**So it looks like the next chapter will be Lucius's first chapter. Afterwards, it'll be Barty Crouch Jr. Then it's Draco and finally, Lord Voldemort's. **

**Thank you for all of your votes :) Enjoy Severus's first chapter!**

_**Italics represents the character's thoughts!** _

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Severus leaned against the wall and observed the others. He noticed his godson, Draco fidget nervously as he eyed Hermione Granger.

Next, he saw Barty Crouch Jr.'s eyes glimmer with insanity. The man flicked his tongue in and out with anticipation, beaming like the madman he was.

_Granger isn't going to choose that crazy lunatic, is she? _

Severus turned his attention to his friend, Lucius who was equally perplexed by the situation. The platinum blond merely sipped from his goblet while signaling Severus with his grey eyes.

_Wait. What? You want me to take her?! That bloody incorrigible know it all? _

He scowled at the contemptible idea and glared when he heard Lucius chuckle. His gaze fixated on Barty as the man took a step closer - _too close_ - to Hermione.

Lord Voldemort tugged on Hermione's chains and his pale skin glowed red from the blazing fire. The Dark Lord gave a high laugh as he said, "It seems none of my men want you, mudblood. Perhaps I should just kill you now, before you waste more of my precious time."

Barty seemed delighted by his Lord's suggestion as he rocked back and forth on his feet.

_Fuck. Is Riddle going to kill Granger now?! Even though I..._

Severus cursed under his breath before stepping forward. Hermione seemed repulsed by what was about to happen and seemed almost as if she would take Voldemort up on his suggestion. She was about to open her mouth to protest when Severus gave her icy glare. Chilled to her toes, her mouth clamped shut.

His voice was barely audible as he drawled, "I will take her."

Draco's eyes widened at his godfather's announcement while Lucius smirked with pure satisfaction. Barty hissed angrily.

"Yes, perhaps that would be suitable," Voldemort responded, thoughtfully slanting his red eyes at Severus. "As... recompense for my previous indiscretions towards a loyal servant."

Voldemort sighed dramatically before passing her chains off to Snape. "It would have been fun to hear your scream as you died. What a pity."

Severus's masked face hid his inner rage.

_I refuse to keep my eyes off her. I won't cause another person to be killed. Again._

_Lily..._

When Severus took the chain out of Voldemort's cold hands, Hermione could feel the perpetually cold links jangle lightly as ownership passed to him. She saw her ex-professor's eyes become shadowed and wisely kept her mouth sealed.

Lucius clapped his hands together as Severus led the Gryffindor away, his entire body a vision of impassiveness and hers trembling with anxiety. The other men hesitated, but slowly joined in. Barty refused to applaud until Lord Voldemort also began to applaud.

_Damn him. Lucius is having too much fun with this. They all are._

He didn't bother to look behind him, knowing what he would see would merely piss him off. Severus stealthily guided Hermione towards his private chambers, located on the highest floor. He didn't want anyone to see her on the way; he refused to subject Granger to further humiliation.

Unfortunately, a single house elf witnessed the two of them before he could cast any spells and slither away. Severus could feel his blood pulsing in fury.

_How DARE he, a filthy house-elf, see Hermione in this state?!_

He hissed, "Sectumsempra!"

The invisible dagger hacked the creature's large, floppy ear off. The wound began to bleed heavily, and the house-elf screeched in pain as he quickly lost consciousness and collapsed from the blood loss.

Hermione's face whitened at the sight of the oozing blood as she recalled the gruesome battles where she was forced to watch her friends and comrades die one by one. She could feel her chest tighten painfully and her breaths became ragged. The scent of blood, the sight of death, and the sound of the screaming elf violently jostled her memories. Memories rapidly flooded through her mind as she was painfully reminded of the war.

"How dare you!" she screeched.

Severus was bewildered by the roaring lioness. He had never even suspected that Hermione would raise a hand against him, but his right cheek nonetheless stung sharply and dripped warm blood.

_What - ? Did she just... hit me?_

It took him a few minutes to understand what happened as he looked into Hermione's blazing brown eyes.

_Despite her current situation, she's still willing to fight? What would happen if she encounters other Death Eaters? I can't possibly lock her in my room for the rest of her life. That would make me as insane as Barty Crouch Jr._

Severus wasn't certain if Granger's fiery behaviour made him angry or worried.

He quickly looked around to check if there were any spectators of her temper. Once he knew that everyone else was still celebrating downstairs, he forcibly dragged Hermione to his quarters.

As he quickened his pace, he became more paranoid of Hermione Granger's strong personality traits.

_She will undoubtedly wreck havoc on the other Death Eaters and stupidly get herself killed. What will happen when I'm not around... what would happen to her if I left her during a mission? Riddle's moods are fickle as fuck. Last time, he promised that he wouldn't kill Lily Evans, but he murdered her anyways. Who is to say that he won't repeat his actions - after all, Riddle was going to annihilate her earlier….. Shit. Why did I have to take her under my wing?_

He snarled when she fought back along the way to his room.

_I mean look at her now!_

Severus flung her on to his bed, the moment they entered his chamber. Casting a powerful muffliato, he rounded on her.

"YOU STUPID GIRL, DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF I HADN'T - " he cut himself off, unable to control his temper for a brief moment. He then turned and sighed, his shoulders slumping from, it seemed, the weight of the world.

_We'll have to make a blood bond. It's the only way to protect her._

He looked at Hermione with sad eyes as she stared at him, eyes wide with bewilderment. He brought out his wand and pressed it against the palm of his hand. He gritted his teeth as the old scar protruded from his skin and began to prickle. Nevertheless he continued the ritual as he nonverbally casted a slicing charm.

"What are you doin-" Severus violently grabbed for her hands, "let go of me!"

"Hold _still_," he rumbled, "we're going to make an edited version of the bond of blood."

Hermione ignored his words, not knowing what he meant, and pointlessly kicked and scratched the impatient wizard.

Severus's body tensed at her attacks and he held back a groan. Overpowering the weakened witch, he slashed her palm as gently as he could. Her dark blood spilled from the cut and Severus immediately squeezed their hands together.

Seeing her about to protest violently, he continued, "It's for _your_ protection. With that stupid Gryffindorish rashness of yours, who knows what kind of danger you'll put yourself in?"

She paused, utterly stupefied. Severus sighed, knowing that she still viewed him as a dirty traitor to the Order, as well as the man who had indirectly - or directly, how would she know? - killed off all her friends.

The two could feel their blood merge; the sensation made their bodies tingle with magic. Together, they inhaled and exhaled heavily as their magical energy seeped away. Beneath him, Severus could see Hermione's face relax and her eyelids close. Fatigue was mounting in his body as well, but he forced himself to roll off of Hermione and slowly stand up. She had fallen asleep in his bed. He blinked a few times and pulled his black duvet over her slight form.

Severus exited his quarters, only to find his friend grinning outside.

Lucius smirked. "You look like you had a lot of _fun_."

He briskly walked past his friend but Lucius remained hot on his heels.

The blonde pointed at his scratches. "I mean, look at you. Granger must be a wildcat in bed, giving you all those scratches and leaving you exhausted. I'm envious."

Severus growled. "You know I didn't have sex with Granger."

His friend winked and said, "No need to be so grumpy. Why don't we head to my chambers to... discuss what's happened."

_I might as well follow him… it's not like I can sleep in my own bed now._

They arrived at Lucius's bedroom and Severus lazily relaxed onto the leather sofa, facing the roaring fire.

Lucius's voice became serious as his the light hearted facade he used publically faded away. "What were you thinking, performing that blood bond on _her?_!"

Severus glared up at Lucius as the blond paced back and forth behind him. He watched Lucius run his fingers through his long hair.

Lucius complained, "Do you know how shocked I was when I saw our old scar resurface?! Blood magic is not something to be scoffed at. You must know how significant that bond is; now no Death Eaters can call her a 'mudblood,' since she shares your life blood for the_ rest of her life!"_

"I know," Severus muttered as he closed his tired eyes. "I have my reasons."

_Obviously. That's exactly why I did it. my blood will protect her socially and physically. I won't allow anyone to harm her as long as I live._

Lucius gulped down another glass of wine before sighing and lying on his bed. He gave Severus permission to stay through his silence, knowing Severus would reject the idea of sleeping with Granger that night.

Severus could soon hear Lucius snoring in the dark. The potions master raised his arms above his head and stared at his palm, clenching it several times.

Staring at the new scar, he whispered into the dark. "I _have_ to protect her."

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**Please review! It's one of the few things that makes me happy. I love reading reviews and my readers' voices/opinions. I hope you look forward to reading Lucius's first chapter, which will be published next. :)**

**Note: Lucius does not have a blood bond with Severus, they have a blood oath instead. Their shared scar only acted up because of the mere presence of blood magic, not because it was the _same_ kind of blood magic.**


	3. Abstergo: Lucius's Story Chapter 1

**A/N: Not a lot of feedback from Severus's first chapter. I'm not sure if you guys are enjoying it or not. Thanks to those who reviewed, loved reading them. I hope that there will be a better response for Lucius's first chapter. Enjoy the chapter! **

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The savoring the bitter taste, Lucius swirled his rich wine in his mouth and slowly breathed in the pungent aroma. He had to take a drink in order to calm his nerves and hide his reaction. He knew the other men were equally dumbfounded by the event, so it wouldn't be misconstrued as suspicious or strange.

_I knew that our Lord was an unpredictable man... but I would never have imagined _this _to happen._

His attention was fixated on Hermione Granger, whose body was paralyzed with fear. Her eyes darted across the room as she wondered if she should accept the Dark Lord's offer. Her gaze met Lucius's eyes.

_Why is she gawking at me? Does she want to play? _

Lucius flirtatiously winked at the witch and mouthed, _choose me_, smirking when he saw her almond eyes widen in shock. Setting his goblet down on the oak side table, Lucius found himself having to muffle a laugh when the girl refused to look at him, but he continued to stare at her nonetheless.

Lord Voldemort yanked her chains to gain her attention and said, "I'm losing my patience, you filthy mudblood."

All previous thoughts fleeing from panic, Hermione blurted the first person that came to mind. "I choose Lucius Malfoy."

The wizard nearly choked from surprise as she called his name.

_Well I'll be damned. She actually chose me. _

Draco gave his father a worried look, unable to quash his protests. "Father! What about mother? She'll kill Granger the moment she sees her!"

Hermione's face paled at Draco's remark, but Lucius hoisted Hermione to her feet, uncoiling the chains from her body and simultaneously receiving ownership of her. The reminder of his cold wife made him more assertive - he decided he would accept Miss Granger into his life. It would be much better, at least, than sleeping next to the wooden plank that was Narcissa.

Lucius offered his hand and said, "Come, Granger."

The girl shyly gripped the outstretched appendage and Lucius bowed his head as he addressed Lord Voldemort. "I swear I shall provide the utmost care towards your... trophy."

Lord Voldemort asked, "Any objections?"

Severus watched the scene coldly while Barty looked appalled that the useless mudblood was to be kept alive.

Only Draco was willing to challenge the foreseeable outcome. "Severus, won't you please take Granger instead?"

Severus sternly told him, "The girl hates me more than anyone in this room. I am _not_ going to keep her."

The young Malfoy wasn't certain if he should rely on his new comrade, Barty Crouch Jr., but Draco still attempted a "What about you Barty?"

The angry wizard flicked his tongue twice and scowled thunderously at the boy. "If that mudblood dares to come within 2 meters of me, I will _kill_ her. _Painfully_."

The boy was almost about desperate enough to beg the Dark Lord, who was growing tired of the pathetic display, until his father shouted, "_Enough Draco_. I will take her. No matter what your objections, she will remain under my care from now on." Lucius wrapped his arm around the girl, who was trembling despite herself.

Defeated, Draco quickly shut his mouth as Lord Voldemort rose fluidly from his seat. Everyone was forced to accept that Hermione Granger had chosen Lucius Malfoy. The herd of men opened the door to find Narcissa and Bellatrix eagerly waiting for them to come out.

Immediately, Bellatrix's face reddened with rage, but her anger paled to her sister's frosty fury.

With a voice colder than ice, Narcissa said, "Why are you holding _that?_"

The two sisters brandished their wands and aimed at Hermione, who stood calmly poised next to Lucius. He had to admit, he was impressed by the girl's composure, but the tenseness of her jaw revealed that she wasn't as unruffled as she seemed.

_Would you look at that. So she is a true Gryffindor, unlike that rat. Fabulous._

Barty Crouch Jr. also looked as if his respect for the girl had risen a few notches, if his raised brows and his amused, barely audible muttering of "Fantastic." were anything to go by. For a brief moment, the man seemed almost _sane_... But no, it must have been a trick of the light, Lucius decided.

However, he had zero interest in witnessing his wife's anger - there was absolutely no point. He placed himself as a barrier between Granger and Narcissa.

Lucius happily reciprocated her frosty demeanor as he warned, "You are in the presence of our Lord. Watch yourself."

The two witches glanced at Lord Voldemort and rethought their actions before they hesitantly lowered their wands.

"Despite our strained… relationship," the elder Malfoy snapped, "you are still a member of this household. Please refrain from such undignified actions. You are the current matron of this house and therefore, the hostess. Provide our guests with proper Malfoy hospitality."

Narcissa gave the Dark Lord a hesitant look and quietly led the rest of the powerful wizards back to the party. With a final glare at Lucius and "the mudblood", she turned the corner and went out of sight. As soon as she was sure her Lord was out of earshot, Bellatrix rounded on her brother-in-law.

"I knew you couldn't be trusted. Just like Snape." Shuddering in disgust, she continued, "I bet _you_ asked our gracious Lord to let her live. I cannot fathom why he would have allowed it."

Hermione looked up at Lucius, wondering what the evil witch was talking about.

The madwoman turned on Hermione next and gave a malicious grin. "you must have missed my company," she hissed gleefully.

Lucius could feel Granger stiffen under his arm, her left hand going to grip her right forearm but changing trajectory midway, reaching for something hidden within that sleeve instead. He grabbed her hand before she could do anything reckless.

_What the fuck is Granger planning? Is she hiding a wand...? Is she thinking to fight Bellatrix?! That would be suicide!_

He could easily identify the murderous gleam in his sister-in-law's eyes, the way her body was angled into a duelist's position. Lucius's body turned rigid. He feared a fight would erupt between the two women, a fight he believed his newest charge would not survive.

Fortunately, Lord Voldemort's sibilant voice, reaching their ears from the bottom floor, interrupted the building tension. "Bellatrix. Come join me."

Hearing her Lord's call, Bellatrix promptly gave Hermione no further thought and instead eagerly rushed downstairs. Lucius sighed in relief. "You can relax now; all who would harm you are gone."

Hermione gave a weak smile at his words, glad that she had made the correct choice earlier in the room. Lucius slowly led her to his master bedroom.

He pointed at the bed. "Sit."

Hermione was hesitant - she was generally unreceptive to being ordered around like a dog, not to mention what being on this man's bed would _entail_ - , but reluctantly sat down on the mattress as she was told. She watched Lucius's fingers snap twice to summon a couple house elves. The man didn't notice her grow agitated when the two raggedy house elves magically popped into the room.

"Bring me some Essence of Dittany, a bowl of cold water, alcohol, and a few clean washcloths," he commanded. They cowered before him and bowed their heads before disappearing from the room.

He was surprised when he heard Granger speak. "You use house elves?"

Lucius raised one of his brows at her question and answered, "Yes." He noticed her lips twitch, but she didn't comment further.

He growled and waited impatiently for his servants to return. When they finally popped back, he struck one elf's bald head as he grabbed the bowl. He then took a washcloth in his other hand, allowing the elves to set the other materials onto his mahogony bedside table.

Turning to Hermione, Lucius took a good, long look at the girl's skinny figure. "Bring me a meal that can be easily digested," he ordered. "Something nutritious."

Lucius didn't pay attention as the elves left again, instead observing the girl who was innocently sitting in his bed. He used his teeth to pull up his long sleeves, his eyes locking with Granger's as she cocked her head curiously.

"Take your clothes off," he growled, before immediately clearing his throat. He hadn't meant to sound that suggestive. The blond set the items in his hands onto the small table to join the rest.

"_Excuse_ me?" she asked, scandalized. She protectively embraced her body with both her arms.

He simplified his command, this time his speech clear and merely instructive. "Clothes. Off." He pointed from her ripped, tattered robe to the floor.

The witch was extremely offended. "I heard you the first time. Why in bloody hell do you think I'd strip naked in front of _you_?"

_Merlin's fat arse, I'm losing my patience. It's just taking her clothes off. What's wrong with that?_

"I've seen numerous women's nude bodies," he told her. "I assure you, I won't be distracted by yours."

"You think that would make me change my mind? What kind of an argument is that?!" she shouted.

"Fine. I'll undress too if that makes you feel better," he joked.

"WHAT?! How in the bloody blazes would that make me feel better, you narcissistic arse?!" she shrieked, her cheeks now a burning pink.

He smirked and answered her - in his opinion - stupid question, "Because my body is undeniably _fabulous_. Just the sight of it would erase all your problems in life."

_Merlin help me. Granger must be the most stubborn, mule-headed woman I've ever met. Nobody refuses getting naked for _me _- especial to women._

Tired of her pointless protests, he reached for her, but immediately regretted the action when he saw her eyes blaze fiercely. One of his pillows struck his face, making it redden. He blinked several times as the pillow fell down to the floor.

…_That's _it_. _

Angered, he mounted Hermione and pressed his lean body against hers while forcibly tearing all of her clothing off. Knowing that the girl would desperately try to wear the useless pieces of fabric again, he stood back up and threw the rag into the fireplace, though he saw something brown fall out before it reached the hungry flames.

He sighed. "See, that wasn't too hard."

When he turned around, his crotch tightened as he felt himself grow aroused by the sight of Granger's firm, young body. Lucius could only be glad that she wasn't pressed against him anymore, though a part of him was also highly disappointed. Although there were numerous bruises, wounds, and scars marring her slim figure, he found her more than beautiful. As his grey eyes feasted on her gorgeous skin, Hermione flushed into a deep red that he gleefully followed, fascinated despite himself as the rosy red spread down from her cheeks to her collarbone to -

_Okay. Perhaps I was wrong when I said I wouldn't be distracted by her body. _

Ashamed of the scars, Hermione covered herself with shaking hands. Lucius got on the bed and pulled her hands away. "If you cover yourself, I won't be able to clean and disinfect your wounds. That's the only thing I want to do, you know," he lied.

_Mmm... I want to keep looking at it. Why would she cover herself anyways, when her body is this perfect?_

He immersed the washcloth in his hand into the bowl of cold water and confidently stroked her skin with the cloth. He couldn't help but smile when she trembled underneath his hands. He quietly continued with his job and then began to disinfect her wounds with the alcohol.

She hissed like a cat when he applied pressure onto the cuts and he whispered, "Sorry."

He gently smoothed the alcohol over her skin, caressing her limbs as he did his task. Next, he poured some Essence of Dittany onto his palms and told her "Lie down on your belly," for the third time for that evening.

Hermione hesitantly revealed her back to Lucius.

Personally, she was relieved to be able to hide her breasts from this man, kind though he was. He, however, had different thoughts.

_I suppose she's beginning to trust me…_

Lucius's hands relaxed Hermione considerably; he skillfully kneaded her sore muscles as he rubbed the potion onto her cuts and bruises, smirking when he felt her body temperature rising from his ministrations.

Hermione felt her a tickle on her back as Lucius's long, silky hair brushed her skin. She tried to turn around to see what the man was doing, but found herself immobile due to his weight.

He whispered into her ears, "What kind of mischievous ideas are swirling around your mind, Miss Granger? I can feel your body heating up."

Flustered, she decided not to answer the question. Then she let out a high pitched yelp when Lucius lightly bit on her ear.

"I don't like being ignored," he told her giving her a sensual smile.

She snapped, "I thought you only wanted to disinfect my wounds."

_I'm a Slytherin. We _all _lie. _

Pensive, he wondered how he should respond.

Lucius smiled wickedly and said, "I shall keep my honourable promise then."

He then grabbed her firm buttocks with his dittany drenched hands, massaging the soft globes of flesh to "fully incorporate" the potion into any wounds that may have been there.

_Though truthfully I didn't see any. Well, that's what she gets for trying to argue._

Hermione moaned quietly, though she immediately tried to muffle the noise.

Lucius was more than enjoying this intimate moment, until he heard a knock on the door.

"What!" he growled angrily.

"Father," Draco's voice rasped. "Our Lord seeks your presence."

Lucius groaned, knowing he had to leave, and sulkily got up from his position. He washed his hands in the bowl of clean water, then turned around with a wink. "Unfortunately I need to leave, my dear. I can imagine how frustrating this can be, but I _will_ join you in bed later."

Embarrassed, Hermione hid her flushed face in the soft blanket. The blonde chuckled at her innocent reaction. "The elves should bring you a meal soon. Please don't forget to eat it, but if they bring you a dish you dislike, you may abuse them as much as you desire," he told her before he headed out.

He chuckled once more when he heard something hit the door behind him.

_Mhm... What a feisty woman. _

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**I hope you enjoyed our flirtatious Lucius. Please review!**

**Beta/Co-author: Barty next chapter! *Throws confetti***

**^ Just for my co-author...she is very excited about Barty Crouch Jr... She asked me to type that. Please have lots of reviews and feedback for the next chapter! ...and this one. Thanks. **

**Cheers!**


	4. Abstergo: Barty's Story Chater 1

**A/N1: Hi. This is me, ItachiBlack. Barty is not under my jurisdiction because he is not my personal favourite. Don't get me wrong, I love David Tennant's acting as the Doctor- he's my favourite Doctor. My mysterious co-author/beta is an insane fan of David Tennant/Barty Crouch Jr. so I let her take reign over this chapter. She did a bloody fantastic job with this character; I only gave her the plot and nagged at her to stay on task. If I don't, I swear to God, this woman will just drool over David Tennant's pictures... -_- but it's her insanity over the man that made her the author. Please give her some great review. She's deserves it.**

**A/N2: Hello. It's not Itachi Black this time, haha. It's the mysterious co-author/beta here! I actually managed to convince Itachi to allow Barty Crouch Jr. (god I love Barty) into his new story when we were first planning the concept, and I couldn't help but to want to write out his tale myself. This chapter is 97% me, 3% Itachi (two words, some brainstorming, and plenty of prodding to remain on schedule).**

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Barty's eyes flew up and down Hermione Granger's exposed body, barely covered but for a few scraps of dirty fabric. He categorized each and every added scar, taking note of all wounds and cuts, acknowledging the added muscle mass and thinner frame from having to rough it out while in hiding. Finally, he allowed himself to link his gaze with her sorrowful eyes.

Those big, brown doe eyes had always been his undoing when he was 'Professor Moody'; they had made him want to drop everything and fuck the innocence right out of her; they had made him want to hold her to him and cradle the light that was her within his feeble, dirty hands; they had made him want to abandon it all and just _leave_, before he either tainted her with the darkness in his soul or - Merlin forbid - betrayed his Lord.

Only a sharp self-reminder of "Constant vigilance!" had been able to snap him back to his mission at the time.

_Thank god for that idiot's stupid catchphrase, or else I wouldn't have been able to keep my cover. And who knows what would have happened to my Lord then?_

Barty only managed to tear his eyes away from the mudblood's when he noticed his Lord watching him thoughtfully. He knew his master had caught his intense scrutiny of the girl, but Barty wasn't sure if he should feel ashamed over having been caught mooning over someone who was almost a muggle. His tongue flicked to the side of his lips once.

"Bartemius," Lord Voldemort began abruptly. Barty winced, preparing for a crucio. "How would you like to own your very own mudblood?"

Barry's eyes widened gleefully. He stumbled towards Lord Voldemort and dropped to his knees beside the girl's currently prone body.

"My Lord," he sighed happily. "My generous, benevolent master. I do not deserve such an honor."

"Loyalty and devotion are things to be rewarded," the Dark Lord announced. "The mudblood is yours. Do with her what you will."

Barty bent down and caressed Hermione's cheek with a gentle hand, meeting her fearful but defiant gaze with an insane smirk of his own.

Snape stood stoically to the side, his face apathetic and his whole body relaxed, but his painfully tensed jaw telling the madman all he needed to know.

Barty met the potion master's eyes and bared his teeth at the man in something approximating a smile, taunting him into action, daring him to defy the Lord's decision. The witch, filthy though her blood may be, was _his_ now. He glanced around the room, observing Lucius's lustful eyes towards his new pet, and Draco's panicked expression, the ferret's filthy hand outstretched as if to try to save her from him.

_Hmmm. Maybe they need a bit of a demonstration._

Reaching down for the mudblood below him, Barty grabbed her bindings, simultaneously receiving ownership of her. He ignored her flinch and loosened part of the chains around her left arm.

The madman grasped her wrist, lifted the tender skin to his mouth, and _sucked_. Hard.

Momentarily ignoring his Lord's chuckle - his mind memorized the noise and saved it to another area in his mind, to revel over later - his wild eyes met each fellow death eater's gaze in challenge. Hearing a pained whimper from the ground, he coldly glanced down at Granger, nevertheless apologetically laving the blooming red mark with his tongue to take the pain away. He swirled the tip of his tongue against her sweet skin one last time and stood up, making her stumble as he pulled her with him and sniggering at her suddenly pink face.

Snivellus and the nasty little ferret still looked less than pleased, but Barty knew they wouldn't dare protest Lord Voldemort's decision.

"Lucius," Barty called, glancing at the amused wizard. "Show me to my rooms now."

The blonde smirked and snapped his fingers. A dirty, stooped house elf appeared with a pop and bowed lowly to the elder Malfoy. Hermione stiffened at the state of the poor thing and Barty let out a huff of amusement, remembering her "Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare".

"Show Mr. Crouch to his specially prepared chambers," Lucius commanded. The creature turned to Barty - who was scowling at Lucius for using _that _name -, bowed, and then skittered off to hold the door open for the two guests.

As he stepped into the hall, the powerful wizard spotted Bellatrix waiting impatiently for Lord Voldemort to exit. He ignored her interested smirk as she eyed his new pet, and vowed to never let the crazy bitch play with his toy - he knew Granger wouldn't come out of the experience in one whole piece, since Bitchytrix had no sense of respect for others' property.

However, he did notice that Hermione was glaring ferociously back at Bellatrix. He had heard that the Bitch had tortured his pet back when Potter was still alive, and had marked her permanently with a very specific word using a cursed dagger. While others would be cowering in the face of their torturers, his lioness was, of course, steadily meeting Bitchytrix's gaze and stalking past proudly, even despite the chains and rags adorning her beaten body.

_I expect nothing less from my new toy._

Barty smirked and continued to follow the house elf, pulling along a Hermione who, realising what kind of people surrounded her, was bewildered at the lack of punishment regarding her impudence towards a fellow death eater.

As they walked, the wizard realized he needed to set a few guidelines for the mudblood, since he didn't want to punish his toy more than necessary.

"I have a few rules for you," Barty told Hermione. His body almost hummed with manic energy as he veritably _bounced_ down the hall. Somehow, this childish fervour still managed to come across as malignant. "Rule one. No trying to escape. I mean, it's not like you'll get far, and I doubt my Lord would have gifted you to me without a few necessary precautions, but it's annoying, and I don't want to have to _discipline_ you, my dear. You're a smart girl, I'm sure you know what I mean.

"Rule b - no, two. I hate idiots. Don't act like an idiot, because I know you aren't one. But don't be a smartass either. I hate those too. So that means _no backtalk_.

"Rule 3, or c. You may never go against Lord Voldemort or his orders. Ever. Don't you dare try to attack him. And don't embarrass me in front of him either, by being disobedient. I don't want to be accused of not house training my pets.

"And rule four, or d, or that little iv in brackets they always put in footnotes. Don't hurt yourself. You may not die without my permission, and you may _not_ hurt yourself. If I find your skin blemished with a scar that you do not already have, I will happily teach you the wonders of torture that doesn't leave a mark (how does Chinese water torture sound? I promise it's infinitely better with magic). The only exception is if you are to entertain my Lord or if you are harmed by another death eater. My master may do as he pleases, but in the latter case, come to me _immediately_. If you do not do so, I _will_ find out and you _will_ be punished.

"Keep this in mind: _I am the only one who can hurt you_," he growled at her. He glanced askance at her face, which was several shades paler than before but still set into a stoic expression. He smirked at her adorable efforts to hide her obvious terror, but it quickly slid off when he remembered one last thing.

Barty suddenly turned on Hermione with dark, stormy eyes, his tall, lean frame looming over her smaller, softer one. Despite the frost in his expression, Hermione couldn't help but notice that his body - scant inches away from hers - was radiating heat.

"And one more thing. If you break _anything_ of mine - if you leave a mark on any single thing," he hissed, "we'll see how well you can handle running away without a leg or two."

And on that ominous note, the wizard continued his original path towards his new chambers, obviously expecting his new toy to follow and tugging insistently on her chain when she stumbled.

Out of boredom, Barty decided to exercise his magic. He shot a silent, motionless _reparo_ and _scourgify_ at the house elf's dirty rags, making the creature stumble and earning him a surprised look from the mudblood. He grimaced.

_I hope she doesn't think it was out of kindness._

When they finally arrived at his chambers, Barty shooed away the house elf and dragged Hermione into the room.

"Stand there," he told her, pointing at the space between the blazing fireplace and the luxurious couch he had been provided with. Barty then turned towards the door and began warding it furiously, his wand viciously slicing and slashing through the air as he protected all the possessions contained within his chambers.

Bartemius Crouch Jr. was a man who knew how to take care of his belongings. As a child, his father's wealth meant his needs were always taken care of - but the man's coldness also meant that he had owned very few things that were truly his. Barty treasured all of his belongings, and he _never _relinquished something once he had it - what was his would always be his and God have mercy on the fucker that dared to put even a scratch on any of his possessions, because Barty sure as hell wouldn't.

So the mudblood would be taken care of: she would be fed and clothed and her pretty little face (and oh, wasn't she just the prettiest little doll?) would be kept just as pretty and unmarked as when he first received her - except when he decided to put her into good use, of course. Besides, he knew how to fix things when they were broken.

In any case, he didn't mind that his Lord may wish to visit his rooms for an inspection or a discussion of some sort - he welcomed it even, as he had nothing to hide from Him. It was the idea that leaving his living spaces unprotected would result in unwanted intrusions from the other Knights, like that nosy bitch Bellatrix, or the pathetic rat Wormtail, or slimy, unfaithful Lucius, who dared to hide away his unworthy status as one of the Lord's inner circle for his own petty survival.

_Or_, and here his face crumpled into a mask of utter disgust, _that fucking traitor_ Severus, _who dared to feign loyalty to the Lord and Master._ He knew that scum was hiding something, he just didn't know what. He would figure it out eventually though, and hopefully the shithead's treachery involved the annoying Bitchytrix, so he could be rid of her too (though he doubted it, since that insane bitch wasn't nearly intelligent enough for such deception).

Oooh, maybe he'd even get the opportunity to torture ratty Mister Worm and the cowardly little ferret into insanity, just as he had done to the dumb Longbottoms. That would be fantastic indeed!

Well, man could hope, couldn't he?

Barty finally turned to properly face Hermione for the first time that evening. He sighed disappointedly at her ragged state, as if it was her fault she was so battered. Hermione bristled at him.

"Well, _you _try being kidnapped by an evil overlord!" she snapped. His tongue flicked twice in agitation at her overly casual reference to his Lord, but he laboriously reigned in his temper.

_Might as well get her clean then. _

_Accio Granger's rags._

As she yelped in shock and horror at her sudden bareness, he cast a few silent _scourgify_sat the fabrics in his hand before tossing it back to her.

"Don't wear those," he commanded, barely glancing at her nude body as she scrambled to cover herself by pressing the cloths against her skin. There was no rush - he would have time to peruse _all _of her later, after all.

He silently cast _accio_ at a quill on the desk, grabbing the thing as it neared him and tapping it to transfigure it into a wooden bowl.

_Aguamenti_.

The bowl filled with clean, clear water, and he sent it cruising straight towards the mudblood with a flick of his wand.

"Clean yourself with those," he told her, before striding towards her and settling himself onto the luxurious couch. Hermione scowled at him for the perceived injustice of being suddenly stripped naked and treated as a dog, though she found herself reluctantly impressed at his incredible prowess. The quill was not even vaguely similar in volume to the bowl it had become, not to mention how thorough the change in matter was. And from what she had seen, Barty Crouch Jr. had not uttered a single one of the spells he had performed, not even as he was warding the room with what was obviously extraordinarily powerful magic.

He summoned an unopened, expensive bottle of Swott Malt Whisky from the glass cabinet in the corner of the large room. Uncapping the bottle without even moving his wand, he transfigured the cap into a glass goblet and poured himself a fair quantity of alcohol. He stared at the glass briefly before shrugging and filling the entire goblet up to the brim.

"Do you - do you really think you want to be drinking that? And that much of it?" Hermione asked him anxiously, afraid that the alcohol would make him more insane than he already was.

"Shut up and do as you're told," he growled, taking a long draught of the liquid. "I need this after that damned prison."

Giving a nervous swallow at his unnervingly heavy gaze, Hermione dipped a now-clean cloth into the bowl of water, awkwardly holding a few of the other rags to cover her sex and her breasts as she rubbed her arm with the wet cloth. Rolling his eyes, Barty summoned the rags to him, sniggering at both the revealed view and her shriek of indignation. He rapidly drained the rest of the goblet and filled it to the brim again.

"You know," he told her after a while, the sudden influx of alcohol having loosened his tongue. "My father used to only allow me to drink fine wines when I was younger. As soon as I was able, though, I went to different bars everyday to try sampling heavy hitters like vodka and whiskey and gin. You would not _believe _my alcohol tolerance!"

"Is - is that so?" Hermione murmured. She was turned away from him and scrubbing at her skin so that she could speed up the process and get some more clothes on.

"I could drink my fucking father under the table," he told her. He shook his shaggy blond hair. "Not that I ever tried. The asshole never had a single drink with me. He was too busy going out into the public eye and pretending to be a goody-two shoes, preaching useless shit like 'muggle-born equality' and never even bothering to take care of his wife and child. Did you know, he didn't even flinch when he sentenced his own son to Azkaban?"

"That's horrible!" she replied, taken aback. He hummed in agreement.

Though she was still mortified at her nakedness, Hermione was also bewildered by Barty's sudden forthrightness, knowing him to be a generally reticent man when it came to his past and private life. She shuffled towards him and squinted.

_His eyes!_

Hermione reared back when she realised that his eyes were much gentler than they usually were, having lost some of their wild insanity when he had drowned that first goblet and continuing to clear up with every sip of whisky afterwards. After a pointed glance from him, she turned around again and continued to clean herself.

"I had so many bad memories that when I was in Azkaban - after I successfully assisted my Lord - , it was difficult to convince myself to keep living," he confided. "There were only two things that kept me going: the Dark Lord... and the thought of you."

"Me?!" the witch squeaked.

"Yep," he told her, popping his lips. "Your determination, your compassion, your innocent smile, your goddamned _light_. I kept remembering how you refused to even _say _'Avada kedavra'."

Hermione peered over her shoulder at him, in awe of this sudden confession.

When their gazes locked, Barty gave her a beatific smile and Hermione felt her heart stutter to a stop at the beauty contained within this broken man, a loveliness that was usually hidden under layers and layers of insanity and anger.

She whipped around to stare at him more fully, too shocked to register that her breasts were now on full display for him. A smirk stretched the wizard's lips as his expression darkened. Unknownst to the pretty witch in front of Barty, the grip of alcohol had begun to slacken at the sight of her naked body.

"Even that fucking wuss _Longbottom _managed to say the words without much issue. But you - oh, you… you bloody cried! For a fucking spider! That always fascinated me, you know. _You _always fascinated me. It's amazing how you manage be that _good_ and keep your soul that _pure_."

Done with the sudden confessional, he decided that the mudblood was clean enough. Barty licked his lips and his eyes turned slightly more feral.

_Episkey. Tergeo._

The wizard executed both spells with a single flick of his wand, adding in a _vulnera sanentur_ for good measure.

Though she _was _glad that her wounds had been treated, the witch was too busy fighting her inhibitions towards her next action to give it much notice. Sighing, she decided to just go for it.

Hermione glided over to Barty and gathered him up into a warm embrace. The wizard, who was returning to his normal state of insanity, stiffened at the sudden contact.

_How dare this mudblood take liberties with my person!_

His arms flailed wildly, unsure whether to hit her or push her off or maybe a good long crucio or that Chinese water torture he'd mentioned or -

Barty's nose caught a whiff of her sweet scent and he began to relax again.

_It's so warm. She's so soft. Maybe just a little..._

His hands began to wander over her soft, newly healed body, relishing the silky satin of her skin and enjoying having physical contact with another human being. Despite his earlier reservations, he was a little euphoric that Hermione Granger was willingly lending him her warmth.

Barty nestled his face into her neck, and, unable to help himself, he took a long lick. Chuckling as she gave a cute little squeak, his tongue slid out and took another taste, this time savoring the flavor of Hermione's skin.

"Hello kitten," he rumbled, his voice low and husky. He smirked into her neck. "Did you want to play?"

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******Do you guys want Barty more or less insane? Or is this fine? Please tell us in a review! :)**


	5. Abstergo: Draco's Story Chapter 1

**A/N: So far, you have read Severus, Lucius, and Barty's independent storylines. We've already established the fact that Severus will be the cool and quiet type, Lucius will be the flirtatious womanizer type, while Barty will be the insane and possessive type. We hope you like Draco, who has matured into the gentleman you see here (ugh. the annoying 'nice guy') from the little brat he used to be. It was difficult to get a good inspiration/idea for his unique storyline. So please enjoy Draco's story.**

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Draco paced back and forth as he watched the other Death Eaters within the room. He could only hope that Hermione Granger would choose wisely.

She has to choose me. She needs to choose me.

He didn't dare approach Hermione, as he was the youngest member of the elite force and the one with the least seniority. Trying to claim the prize before anyone else had a say would be seen as impertinent behavior and he could be punished for it, depending on the Lord's mood.

Hermione's eyes scanned each man's face, before it stopped at Draco's. His whole body turned rigid with apprehension when he saw Hermione's wrist twitching.

Her index finger, he soon realized, was pointed in his direction.

The Gryffindor had selected him. He gave an imperceptible sigh of relief, and then allowed the corners of his lips to rise into a smug smile.

Squaring his shoulders, Draco confidently strode over to Hermione, who had struggled into a sitting position from her original prostration in front of the Dark Lord.

"My Lord," the blond murmured, bending low into a bow. At Voldemort's acknowledging nod, Draco bent further and gave Hermione a charming grin, before reaching forwards and scooping her whole body up in his arms.

Hermione gave an alarmed little squeak at her sudden departure from the ground.

Chuckling at Granger's terror - he was reminded of her incredible distaste for anything that took her feet off the ground - he turned around to march out of the room when his eyes clashed with his father's. The lingering smile playing with his lips immediately slid off when he identified the lust-filled leer Lucius usually gave the women he identified as his newest prey.

Too busy furiously glaring at the older Malfoy, Draco only peripherally acknowledged the other threats in the room - namely, the disinterested Dark Lord, the dangerously restless Barty, and the sullenly glowering Severus. His father's predatorial expression displeased him greatly. He wanted - no, he needed to protect Granger.

As soon as he stepped fully into the hallway, Hermione began to wiggle furiously in his arms; he easily adjusted her weight to account for her movements.

"This," she told him angrily, "is highly degrading. Were the chains not enough or something?"

Draco sighed at her bullheaded defiance. He really was glad that she had chosen him, but he could already tell that she'd be trouble to take care of.

If she had talked this way to any of the other men in that room…

As his grip tightened, he noticed how thin Hermione Granger had become: he could feel each individual rib against his fingers and her sharp hip bone pressing into his arm.

Worriedly, he asked, "When was the last time you ate anything of substance?"

"Why do you care?" She spat. A scowl crinkled her brows as her stomach gave an angry grumble at the mention of food.

Draco grinned at her embarrassed expression. "Let's go get some food into you then."

Hermione nodded bemusedly at his peculiarly kind demeanor. He continued to carry her downstairs where he could hear people partying.

He whispered into her ears, "Please do try to behave, Granger. The people in the next room may not be happy to see you... er... alive."

Hermione snorted. "No, really? What gave you that impression?"

Draco rolled his eyes at his former classmate's cheeky attitude.

I guess she hasn't changed since our time at Hogwarts… if anyone's changed, it's me.

The other Death Eaters had been unreservedly rambunctious during the wild celebration, but as Draco walked into the room, they quieted. Everyone's eyes fell on the girl who was in Draco's embrace.

The female Death Eater who had been hanging on Draco's arm earlier began to glare furiously at Hermione. "Is that Hermione Granger?!"

The sound of her name made all the Death Eaters stiffen warily, until they saw the girl's pathetic state.

The enraged witch continued, "Why is that filthy mudblood alive? What is she doing in your arms Draco?"

Draco could feel the Gryffindor's skin practically radiate with contempt at the slur. He recalled his second year at Hogwarts: when he insulted her, she had cried with humiliation.

Then he remembered his third year when he had taunted the 'Golden Trio'... and Hermione had punched him in the face. That smack had focused his attention onto her for the rest of his Hogwart years - his father hadn't even laid hand to his face before, and she wasn't even the slightest bit afraid of his family's wrath.

Hermione hand scrambled for her wand, but she quickly realized that she was unarmed. The death eaters immediately picked up on her defenselessness and mocked her mercilessly.

"How's Potter, mudblood? He dead enough for yeh?" one jeered.

The crowd guffawed at the comment.

A particular perverse man yelled, "Maybe she's hiding Potty and Weasel under her rags! Why don't you drop them and show us?"

The other male Death Eaters clapped at the suggestion.

A younger male Death Eater sneered, "I bet you missed being fucked by all those Gryffindors every night."

Then an older witch said, "Is that why you have the girl with you Draco? Is she your new little whore?"

The hot, angry tears flooded clouding Hermione's vision and the endless howls of laughter caused Draco to snap. Recalling the faces of those who had humiliated Hermione, he gripped his wand tightly and lashed out at all of them, crucios rolling easily off his tongue. Making sure Hermione was facing away from him, Draco took the liberty to smirk cruelly at the squirming masses of trash on the ground. One did not enter into the service of the Dark Lord without being mutated in some way.

How dare they mock Hermione in front of me? How dare they degrade her so?!

Screams and shrieks echoed throughout the room, catching the elder Malfoys' attention. Narcissa instinctively knew that her son was upset, but Lucius was furious with his son's outrageous behaviour.

Lucius forcibly grabbed Draco's arm and hissed in his ear, "What the hell do you think you are doing? Are you trying to tarnish our family's image?!"

Draco snapped his father's hand away and hissed back, "It's far more humiliating for a Malfoy to stand still and do nothing when one's-" he glanced at Granger "-property is being ridiculed. I refuse to be that pathetic."

Unwilling to listen to his father's rant, Draco speedily piled food onto a platter and whisked Hermione away to his bedroom.

When the two entered the room, Draco set Hermione on an armchair and passed her the pile of food. He reached in his pocket and flicked out a fag from a small white carton, keeping his eyes on the Gryffindor the whole time.

"Since when did you start smoking?"

"During our sixth year. Eat."

Hermione obviously disapproved of his smoking habit, but she kept silent and rubbed at her eyes, choosing to start on the food instead.

"Hermione," Her head shot up in surprise. "May I call you that?"

The Gryffindor glared at his attempt at familiarity and Draco sighed. "Fine. I won't call you by your first name. Granger, I'm sorry. About everything. Your situation, the earlier mess, and our time at Hogwarts. I'm sorry about a lot of things."

He inhaled the cancerous smoke and lowered his eyes to the floor.

He could hear Granger choke in shock at his apology. "You clearly need to quit smoking; you must have developed a malignant growth in your brain, to have had your mental processes so scrambled. The arrogant ferret I know would never apologize," she scoffed.

Draco chuckled at her comment. "You mean the arrogant ferret you knew. People mature as they age, Granger."

Hermione observed Draco quizzically and shifted her armchair closer to him. She had to wonder if he was telling the truth. Draco gazed into her eyes before throwing out the cigarette out the open window.

How can I keep Hermione Granger alive? What can I do for her?

His brows furrowed together as he thought. He did have an idea - problem was, would Hermione agree to it?

"Granger, what would you do for to survive?"

She replied, "At this point, the natural reply would be 'anything', but I can't quite agree with that. I would try to survive, but there are some things that I just can't bear to do."

"Let me propose a deal: become my girlfriend. It's for your benefit; I know it's crazy, but it's probably your best option for now."

The witch's fiery eyes widened, and Draco added, "Please don't punch me this time. I'm not joking around."

"Why should I become your girlfriend?" she hissed, appalled at the thought.

He sighed. "It should keep you from having to go through an episode like the one earlier. My status can provide you security from a majority of the Death Eaters. I don't want you to deal with any more of their crap. You've already endured so much."

Her almond eyes closed as the girl remembered the war, the blood, and the Death Eaters. Her eyes reopened when she felt his large, warm hands envelop her smaller ones.

Draco continued, "Hermion- Granger, you chose me - I'm still not sure why - so you need to trust me. Look, the last person I wanted you to choose was my father - he would definitely touch you in more than one way. Then there's my godfather, whose thoughts are always a mystery since he's a master at occlumency. Even I don't know whose side he's on, only that he and my father make an incredibly dangerous duo. As for Barty Crouch Jr. and Lord Voldemort... Well, they'd sooner kill you than feed you."

Hermione glared at Draco. "What about you? Aren't you part of that group?"

The young Malfoy's expression turned morose and frustrated. "No, I was coerced into joining them. My family was under the threat of torture until death if I didn't succeed. Besides, I am a Malfoy after all, and my father is an elite member of the Death Eaters. I didn't really know what I was getting into at first, but now... I'm just sick of it all. It twists you up inside, ruins your sense of self little by little. It kills all of the things that can make a person good, like your sense of trust, your honesty, and your sanity. I don't want to become a merciless killer like Barty or Aunt Bellatrix or the Dark Lord."

Draco was shocked when Hermione embraced him. She said, "I understand. I know you aren't lying. I just- I never even suspected that you were also hurt from this stupid war."

Feeling a bit awkward at this display of emotion, he went for a distraction. "We are going to need to re-establish your status at another party."

Her face paled in horror. "I need to attend another party?"

He nodded at her question. "Yes, but this one will be considerably more formal. It'll be like a ball, like the one that was held at Hogwarts during our fourth year, rather than the barbaric congregation of idiots you saw today."

Hermione cringed at the memory; the ball had started well, but she had gotten into that fight with Ronald and Harry.

"They're just going to pick another fight with me," Hermione said, rolling her eyes.

Draco stood up and looked down at her small frame. He tried to reassure her by projecting confidence as well as he could. "They won't dare repeat their mistakes again. Now you will be part of 'us' instead of an outsider and enemy."

Draco allowed Hermione to fall asleep on his bed as he mulled over preparations for the ball. He would need to get a suitable dress tailored for the witch and get his own outfit prepared.

He summoned an elf and ordered it to send the proposition to his mother. She would make his father agree, and then the Malfoy patriarch would convince Severus and the Dark Lord.

Exhausted, he approached his bed and gave the sleeping beauty a warm smile.

I suppose this will be our first act as a 'couple'.

Hesitantly, he climbed into bed and fell asleep while holding Hermione in his arms.

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**Please review! Thanks to the increase of followers and favourites. Brings me a lot of joy. I am sorry for posting this chapter...really wanted to post this chapter last Saturday, on my birthday. It would have been fun to celebrate it with Harry Potter fans. I got to play Quidditch though. Anyways, please do review! Thanks. Cheers. **


	6. Abstergo: Voldemort's Story Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey I've been on a long hiatus so this chapter has been written by my almighty co writer/beta. Isn't she great? I think she is :) For the last month, I've been in France and now I'm in South Korea. Anyhow, we are pretty sure you guys don't remember what happened last time. So here's a recap.**

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_Lord Voldemort seated himself in an armchair next to Hermione and asked, "Now who will volunteer to take care of my prize? This mudblood is my golden trophy, my prize for killing Potter along with his pesky friends, and winning the war."_

_New tears joined the traces of their predecessors, cascading down established tear tracks along her pale, bruised face. She tried her best to muffle her cries, but they could see her body shuddering from the vain effort._

_The Dark Lord removed the mouth gag and asked, "Or... shall I be merciful enough to let you decide? Who will you choose as your new master?"_

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Hermione gritted her teeth through her tears and defiantly refused to speak. She scanned the room with her eyes, making note of each man and his reaction.

Lucius Malfoy sneered at her in condemnation and disgust. Good, that meant there was no threat of being chosen by him.

Draco looked at her nervously, obviously wanting to speak up, but unable to out of cowardice. He would have been the safest choice, but she wouldn't force him to do anything for her if it would put him in danger too.

Prof- Snape, that horrible traitor, was looking at her with cold, empty eyes. He'd always been cruel to her, but that lingering respect for authority figures made the icy stare of her ex-professor sting that much more.

She ignored it and rested her eyes on the second most dangerous man in the room. Barty Crouch Jr. He'd murdered both Lupin and Tonks, leaving Teddy an orphan, and then tortured Neville until he was a drooling, blubbering mess like his parents. The mad glint in his eyes as he stared at her reassured her that he would happily do the same to her, but he fortunately stayed his hand.

Unbeknownst to Hermione, the Dark Lord had been glowering at his Death Eaters from behind her, just daring the men to take away his prize. Smirking at the ringing silence in the room, he gripped the mudblood's hair and yanked it back, forcing her to bend her neck at a painful angle.

"Well, _mudblood_. It looks like none of my men want to own a filthy, disgusting wench like you."

"Good," she snapped. "I'd rather die than belong to anyone, least of all murderers like _you_."

Lord Voldemort laughed coldly. "You stupid, stupid girl. I don't think you understand your position right now."

He tossed her away, all traces of humor dissolving from his face. "You'd rather die? I think that could easily be arranged."

The other Death Eaters in the room immediately recognized the danger signs and Lucius silently slipped out of the room, pulling a stiff Severus and reluctant Draco behind him.

Barty, though also well versed in the warning flags that signaled the Lord's wrath, usually associated this with a delightful chance to torture a worthless worm. He stood there for a few more moments with a wild grin, until the Dark Lord shot him a look that clearly said, "Get the fuck out."

Though he flicked his tongue several times in agitation, Barty obediently shuffled out.

And then there were two.

Lord Voldemort circled around the mudblood much as a shark would corner its prey, looking for a weak spot to target.

_How best to break this one?_

He remembered Potter's sanity unraveling under the onslaught of his superior mind, remembered how the pest had screamed and begged under his wand. Voldemort sent this image at the mudblood, slamming it into her mental walls like a bludgeon against a glass window. The girl winced and curled into herself, scrambling to pick up the pieces of her feeble shields whilst ignoring her renewed tears.

_Hmm. Something stronger, then._

He imagined tracking the mudblood's parents to Australia. He imagined making the male writhe with agony, imagined letting Grayback have his way with the female, imagined what state the bitch would be in afterwards, imagined neither muggle having any idea why this was happening to them and what they'd done. He imagined them having no idea who 'Hermione Granger' was, and shrieking to go find Hermione and torture her instead, because they had done nothing wrong. He imagined the sight of an unborn fetus within the female's womb, Granger's unborn baby sister. He imagined all the events more vividly than should be humanly possible, especially given that they had never happened, and streamed the images into Hermione Granger's unprotected mind.

The girl stiffened and then thrashed on the ground with fury and hurt and pain.

_Ah, there we go._

Lord Voldemort grinned wickedly above Hermione who thrashed on the floor.

"YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER MONSTER! THEY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS WAR!"

The force of her anger turned her magic into a destructively precise instrument, unraveling the chains around her and allowing her to throw herself at Voldemort, her fingers outstretched into claws.

This was not exactly what he'd been aiming for, but it was an amusing outcome nevertheless, he mused.

Voldemort flicked his wand and threw her back against the opposite wall.

To his surprise, Granger caught herself by creating a cushion of air, control over her magic amplified infinitely by her emotional anguish. Throwing herself at him again, she created a whip of pure magic and attempted to cut him with it, only to be waylaid by an armchair that flew into her path. She slashed straight through the large furniture, cutting it clean in half.

"I HATE YOU, YOU BASTARD! YOU'VE RUINED MY ENTIRE LIFE!" the girl screamed, her whip only barely missing him when he apparated out of the way.

Lord Voldemort was forced to recall the face of the useless muggle Tom Riddle Sr., who'd said nearly the same thing to him when Tom Marvolo Riddle had gone to finally meet his father ("I hate you, you little bastard! You and your bitch of a mother have ruined my life!"). He felt the familiar rage coiling up within him and released it at the girl, throwing a spell at her with such destructive power that she created a great hole in the wall upon impact, despite the cushion of her own magic and the reinforced wood that had been used to create the room.

"Shut up, _mudblood_," he spat. He strode over to her slumped form and towered over her with a smirk. "I wonder how long it will take for you to break? You've got a pretty face, for a mudblood, but I'd much prefer it to be scrunched up in pain, with you screaming for mercy."

"As... if..." she wheezed out, still defiant.

_Oh, this will be fun._

"That last image I showed you was false," he told her. She nearly sobbed in relief and he sneered at what he perceived as weakness. "But just know that I can do such a thing whenever I want. So make sure to behave, my little mudblood."

He fixed her broken bones with a swish of his wand and, with another, sent her to the rooms he specifically had prepared for her.

Lord Voldemort sat back onto the armchair and chuckled darkly. "What a cute, fun little toy. It makes me want to break her," he murmured to himself.

A large, green serpent slithered out of his inky cloak and rested on his shoulders. Lord Voldemort glided his pale, spidery hand over his beloved pet and told her, "_Do you know what's extremely annoying? The damn witch clearly doesn't know who she belongs to now."_

Nagini could feel his pulsing anger and she hissed angrily next to his face.

"_Summon Lucius_," Lord Voldemort said.

He felt Nagini uncoil herself as she lazily slid out of the dark room. After several moments, the Dark Lord could hear the door open once more.

Lucius dropped onto one of his knees. "You summoned me, my Lord?"

Lord Voldemort did not turn around. "Yes. Lucius, I require you to host a celebration for me."

"For what purpose, my Lord?" Lucius asked hesitantly.

The dark wizard chuckled to himself and said, "To make the girl understand who she belongs to and to allow everyone else to understand that they may not harm my trophy."

The other wizard replied, "Of course. Whatever you wish."

Lucius stood and bowed to Lord Voldemort before walking towards the wooden door.

"Lucius," the Lord called. "This time make it a _formal_ event."

"Yes, my Lord." The door clicked shut. Lord Voldemort sighed in relief as Nagini joined him once more. He smiled at the thought of the witch in his bedroom.

_I'll be constantly throwing thoughts and images into your mind, little bird, both real and imagined. Let's see how you hold up against this kind of torture._

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**I truly am sorry for the late update. As a token of my apology, the next chapter will cover all of their storylines and it will be quite a ball. Hope you'll enjoy watching the 5 men competing for her attention. **

**Now, I have a poll up on my profile for next chapter. The poll is to determine who your favourite storyline is so far and the more votes the character receives, the more attention I'll give to the character when I write out the next chapter. Can't wait to read your reviews, please don't kill me for posting slowly... **

**Cheers. **


	7. Author's Note

**Absolutely necessary AN:**

**Guys, we really need you to all go vote on ItachiBlack's profile page. It is necessary for us to know your guy's opinions so that we can start on the next chapter at all, okay? We only have 13 of you guy's votes right now, and that's just pitiful - not even a fifth of you guys even bothered! (IB's really depressed now, haha.)**

**So. This is me asking as nicely as I can: **

**Please go vote? :)**

**~ Gen-Uni**

**P.S. The mobile version of ff-dot-net doesn't show polls, so if you're on your mobile, just switch to desktop mode for a second (the link is on the bottom left of each page) and go to Itachi's page. To switch back, click the mobile phone icon on the top of each page along the blue bar, beside "unleash your imagination", and it'll take you back to the mobile version of the site. Cheers!**

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_**(And this is me being an angry Bitchytrix:**_

_**WHY ARE YOU NOT VOTING PEOPLE OMGGGFDGFDFGDGEATGH)**_


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